In this book, Laplace suggests that the solar system, including the sun, came from a nebula (rotating from west to east). This theory was popular for nearly a century, but has since been discounted, although it is considered that it is a basic representation of how stars are formed in nebulae. "Laplace has been called the 'Newton of France'" [PMM]. Printing and the Mind of Man 252 (about Traité de Méchanique Céleste). Wolf II 100-101.